These cheese muffins from the 1940s are fluffy, soft and tender. With the whole wheat flour, the cheese flavor is not noticeable but are really delicious nevertheless is a great accompaniment to any meal!
We got the cheese muffin recipe from the cookbook, Victory Cook Book: How to Eat Well, Live Well, Plan Balanced Meals Under Food Rationing by various authors published in 1943 and reproduced by Read Books in 2016.
In this cookbook, it mentions bread and cereals as energy foods because they supply the body with energy (carbohydrates) that our bodies need for us to “carry on our work.” It discusses how breads and cereals can extend meals as well as meat (since grains like oats were often added to ground meat to extend the meat) and how flour was “now enriched with B vitamins and iron” so white flour would have the same nourishment as whole grain and whole wheat flours. Learning about enriched flour when I was studying holistic nutrition would not agree with this in that enriched vitamins is thought to be much harder to digest than those in whole grains. But flour began to be enriched then and still is today.
We followed the recipe but did increase the milk since we are using only whole wheat flour. Here’s the original recipe:
Let’s get started!
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and paprika. Stir.
Combine egg and milk together. Whisk gently. Melt butter or shortening.
Add the melted butter, egg and milk to the flour along with the cheese.
Stir until just combined.
Divide batter between 12 greased muffin cups.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool on cooling rack. Store in airtight container once cooled. Keeps for 3 days. I always store extras in the fridge.
Cheese Muffins from the 1940s
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
Sprinkle paprika
2/3 cup shredded cheese
1 egg
1 cup milk – I added 1/4 cup extra since I am using whole wheat flour
3 tbsp melted butter or shortening
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and paprika. Stir. Combine egg and milk together. Whisk gently. Melt butter or shortening. Add the melted butter, egg and milk to the flour along with the cheese. Stir until just combined. Divide batter between 12 greased muffin cups.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours